The 2016 Contactless & Mobile Awards nominations are open! Your Contactless Intelligence Weekly News Review

The 2016 Contactless & Mobile Awards nominations are open!

Despite the upbeat headline I know that many of our readers will be attending CARTES 2016 in Paris this week and it would be completely obtuse of me not to acknowledge the terrible and shocking tragedy that befell the citizens of this fine city last Friday. What springs to mind is the city’s motto ‘Fluctuat Nec Mergitur’ - Tossed by the waves, but not sunk. Paris is immortal.

The CARTES team have put out the following message, which I will repeat here in case someone has not seen it; “Following the tragic events in Paris, CARTES Secure connexions and its organisers are putting in place increased security measures (bag checks, entry controls and security personnel) and are working with the law enforcement authorities to optimize security at the event. Obviously, the French government might decide to introduce further measures in the next few days. The exhibition will open as planned and the Comexposium teams are at the disposal of exhibitors and visitors to answer their questions and concerns. For any further information please do not hesitate to contact +33 (0)1 76 77 11 11.”

I wish them well and our team looks forward to speaking with the many attendees that will show resolve and embrace a ‘business as normal’ attitude, rather than be influenced by a group of extremists. Fluctuat Nec Mergitur.

In other news, I am excited to announce to opening of nominations for the 2016 Contactless & Mobile Awards! With this being our tenth year we have made a few changes to our categories by merging some older categories and creating new ones. This year we have decided to combine the categories to a grand total of just 10 categories; 9 categories to be judged by a panel of industry experts, 1 category to continue to be voted for by the industry and 2 categories selected by Visa Europe – the Winners being announced at a prestigious evening ceremony organized in London following the Contactless Intelligence Spring Conference on evening of the 26th April 2016.

Full details on how to nominate can be found by following this link but the categories are as follows;

Payment Innovation - Awarded for innovative schemes and applications, as well as technology. This category looks at disruptive approaches and the smart use of technology in the contactless and mobile payment space.

Retail & Loyalty - The retail industry is the front line for all consumer oriented technology innovation. Rewarding customers for brand loyalty is core to the retail industry and there are many innovative contactless and mobile implementations out there. The judges are looking for forward thinking, integrated solutions that take retail & loyalty to the next level.

Transportation and Ticketing - Awarded for the best use of contactless / NFC technology within the transportation and ticketing environment. Be it public transport or tickets for events, this award is aimed at those companies who have embraced the new contactless / NFC technology to deliver their specific products to a mass audience.

Contactless & Mobile City Initiatives - Awarded for the most ambitious and widespread initiative to implement mobile or contactless technology. Applications can include mobile payment, public transportation, hospitality and tourist schemes.

Unattended; Vending & Parking - In an increasingly convenience-focused market, we will look at the customer driven, practical innovations and how it creates new solutions. From interactive services, to multimedia output and online connectivity, today’s service oriented kiosks, ticketing and self-service applications may be one of the key drivers for contactless and mobile implementations.

Payment Security - There is no payment without security. In this category, we are looking for the most convincing examples of smart security mechanisms used to secure transactions – from the use of cryptocurrencies to biometrics.

Next Generation Ecosystem - In this category we are looking at block chain ecosystems and use cases such as cryptocurrency platforms, supply chain or identity management. Cutting out ineffective banking intermediaries, these technologies could save billions for consumers and the financial services industry.

ID & Authentication - Secure Authentication is key when it comes to securing people’s identity. Contactless and mobile technology adds the convenience to ID applications, facilitating the use of government and/or private sector issued schemes. Awarded to the most prolific secure ID system out there.

Mobile Wallet - Awarded for the smartest, most consumer-friendly and easy-to-use mobile wallet implementation. Judges will be looking at security, privacy and stability as well as convenience.

We would ask that all those who are interested in registering their interest use the forms provided on the Contactless Intelligence site by 31st December 2015. As always, all CMA entries are free and you can enter as many categories/solutions as you like. (DISCLAIMER: This does not apply to the Visa Contactless Awards as these categories are not open to nominations). Should you have questions, I would first direct your attention to our FAQ section on the site here.

That’s all for this week’s editorial, as the team will hopefully speak to as many of our readers as possible during the CARTES event. If you see us, please say ‘Hello’ or perhaps ‘Bonjour’.
Safe travels.

Until next time,

Steve Atkins
Contactless Intelligence